


The Dinner Date

by fingalsanteater



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Domestic Fluff, First Dates, Grocery Shopping, M/M, POV First Person, Underage Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3466172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fingalsanteater/pseuds/fingalsanteater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco is encouraged to plan a platonic dinner to cheer up an unhappy Ax. </p>
<p>Or, the time the Animorphs tricked Marco into planning his own dinner date with the Andalite he was crushing on (and who was crushing on him back).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dinner Date

**Author's Note:**

> Set after book 38, "The Arrival," and references a line or two from it. But, really, this is just some fun that is only marginally related to canon. 
> 
> Thanks to winkwonk for the encouragement and a few of the ideas and lines. If you laugh at it, it's probably hers.
> 
> Please heed the tags. This fic features underage characters in mild sexual situations. If this bothers you, do not continue reading. Any negative comments regarding the underage content will be deleted.

It was Wednesday night and I was blowing off doing my homework for the hundredth time to lounge in a bale of hay, listening to the most ridiculous meeting our little group had ever had.  
  
<I was planning on making Ax a special dinner to cheer him up,> said Tobias, <but hawks can't exactly shop.>  
  
I eyed him suspiciously. "And hawks can't exactly cook either. What's your point?" I don't know how a hawk can look sheepish, but Tobias managed it.  
  
<Well, I was thinking maybe you could help out. With the shopping. And the cooking,> he said.  
  
"Yeah," said Rachel, flippantly. "Didn't you cook for your dad?"  
  
I threw my hands up in the air. "Just because I helped my dad out for a few years doesn't mean I can actually cook," I cried.  
  
"Oh, don't be so modest, Marco," said Rachel, infuriating smirk on her face. "I bet you're just a regular Susie Homemaker."  
  
Jake chimed in, sounding more solemn than the situation really warranted. "You should help Tobias cheer up Ax, Marco. For the team."  
  
Cassie, in the process of shoveling something gray and mushy down a goose's gullet, nodded her head gravely and made a noise of agreement.  
  
I was doomed.  
  
I hoped Ax liked microwaved freezer lasagna, because that was about the extent of my culinary skill. Just imaging the disappointment on his cute face made my heart clench.  
  
But, I wasn't about to disappoint him-- or anyone else. This was going to be the best damn dinner an Andalite in human morph had ever eaten, even if I had to read every ridiculous cook book Nora had crammed into our bookshelf. She never actually cooked, but sure did own a lot of books instructing her on how to do so.  
  
Everyone would be referring to me as Chef Marco after everything was said and done. Ax would be on his knees begging me for more. He'd ask me to move into his scoop and be his personal chef. Not that it'd work since he didn't have a kitchen, but he'd still ask.  
  
I'd nail this dinner.

* * *

  
It was a warm, sunny Saturday. A great day for a trip to the beach. I could be hanging on the arm of a hot surfer dude, picking up chicks with him. Instead, we were on a shopping trip for our dinner tonight. Ax was back in his scoop watching some terrible Saturday afternoon movie, unaware of our surprise dinner. I wasn't exactly sure why he needed cheering up, but his happiness was apparently dependent on my ability to cook him a good dinner. No pressure.  
  
"Okay," said Jake, about two blocks away from the supermarket. "Keep alert. We are just going to shop, but you never know when we might run into a situation."  
  
"Run into a situation? We are grocery shopping, not infiltrating a Yeerk pool," I said.  
  
"There could be Yeerk pool entrance at the store," said Cassie, unhelpfully.  
  
"It's possible," added Tobias, equally unhelpfully. He was walking with us to the store in human morph. For some reason.  
  
"Or," said Rachel, cracking her knuckles, "Visser Three could be pulling some scheme. People come in to buy pork chops and deodorant and end up checking out with a Yeerk in their head."  
  
"Checking out?" I laughed. "'Can I get a price check on a brain controlling alien slug? Price check on an alien, lane five,'" I said, imitating a checkout clerk. "Come on, guys. Give me a break."  
  
"Well, with Visser Three, anything is possible," concluded Jake, the most unhelpful of them all.  
  
"Right," I said with extreme sarcasm.  
  
Jake cleared his throat awkwardly. "So," he continued, "Tobias will morph into a sparrow in the alley up here. Then, he'll follow me and Marco in to the store, staying up in the rafters or on top shelves. Rachel and Cassie will follow a minute later, grab a basket and keep an aisle or two over. Got it?"  
  
I nodded my head without comment, barely avoiding stumbling over a crack in the sidewalk. I always got a little weak in the knees when Jake gave orders.  
  
We ducked into the next alley and tried not watch as Tobias morphed back into a hawk and then into a sparrow. We hoped the sparrow's instincts would be less distracting than a fly's, and Tobias could still provide surveillance from the air and answer any questions we had about the list. When finished morphing, Cassie shoved Tobias' clothes in her bag and we were off. Mission: infiltrate the supermarket and buy groceries for a nice dinner. I rolled my eyes.   
  
Jake and I stood in the entrance of the store, surrounded by mountains of fruit. I pulled out the list Tobias had handed me earlier-- the list I'd just shoved it into my pocket without looking. That had been a mistake.  
  
"This is chicken-scratch! Who wrote this?" I asked, turning the crumpled paper in my hands and trying to decipher the scrawl.  
  
<I did,> Tobias said, sounding testy.  
  
"Oh, forgive me. Hawk-scratch. Did you dip your talons in ink or were you gripping a pen in your claw?" Through some miracle, my brain was starting to make out some words. Tobias pointedly did not answer me.  
  
"Come on," whispered Jake, grabbing my arm and pulling me over to the aisle with paper plates and garbage bags.  
  
"You said Ax dictated this to you?" I'd figured out about half the list by now. Unfortunately.  
  
<I wrote it exactly,> confirmed Tobias.  
  
Jake pretended to consider the merits of one type of plastic utensil over another.  
  
I sighed. "You realize you wrote 'Toothpaste, a variety of flavors including bubblegum,' right?"  
  
<As I said, written as Ax dictated.> Tobias was clearly tired of my complaints, but I wasn't tired of complaining.  
  
"This is going to make a great dinner," I ranted. "Cool Whip? Mentos? Hamburger Helper?"  
  
Tobias made a noise that might have been a snicker, if birds could laugh. <I think he likes their "These Messages,"> he said.  
  
"We know advertising works, I gue..." I paused, struck senseless by an item on the list. "Vitamins," I read, voice flat, "specifically those in the shape of primitive humans. What does..."  
  
Oh.  
  
"He wants Flintstones vitamins? Really? I mean, I don't know why I'm surprised. This is a guy who enjoys cigarette butts with a side of pizza he dug out of the trash. I don't know why I even bothered studying those cook books." I heard a bark of laughter an aisle over that sounded like Rachel.  
  
I ignored her. "Here I am planning a nice dinner and all I needed to do was squirt a little toothpaste on some vitamins. Bon appétit."  
  
"Maybe this was a bad idea," said Jake, cryptically.  
  
<No,> countered Tobias, words coming quick, like really didn't want the plan to fall through. <We are cheering Ax up, remember? Have you guys ever lived with a mopey Andalite? He just stands around all day with his hooves in a pan of soda and bucket of cheese curls, watching Ricki Lake and General Hospital."  
  
And wasn't that just the saddest image? I suddenly felt a lot more cooperative. Memories of of Ax smiling brightly with his green Andalite eyes flashed through my head. I'd make him smile like that at me.  
  
"Well," I said, keeping my voice light, "this might not be a five-star meal, but I think Ax is going to love it."  
  
I got everything on the list, including the toothpaste and vitamins. I'd settled on making beef stroganoff Hamburger Helper. Ax had asked for Hamburger Helper, after all, and beef stroganoff sounded kind of fancy. Rachel laughed about my reasoning the entire way home, but Tobias assured me Ax would love it. I could only hope.

* * *

  
Saturday night was dad and Nora's date night. They were still in their "honeymoon phase," Cassie had said, which apparently means they like to spend a lot of time kissing and being alone together. They were out at the movies and would be gone until at least midnight. It was a perfect time to have a sad Andalite in human morph over to sample what I had to offer. His taste buds would be delighted by my cooking.  
  
I was in the kitchen, browning beef for the stroganoff.  A cinnamon pound cake was baking in the oven. The toothpaste and vitamins were on the counter in little bowls, ready for Ax to sample. I'd even put a table cloth and candles on the table. This was supposed to be a nice dinner, even if the appetizers were toothpaste and vitamins.  
  
Over the sizzle of the beef, I heard the doorbell ring. Whoever it was a little early. Maybe it would be Jake and he'd help me out.  
  
It was Ax in his attractive human morph. He looked very put together, like Rachel had dressed him for a special occasion. He also looked very, uh... beautiful. My mind was suddenly full of memories of what Ax in human morph looked like without a shirt, what he felt like when he was sitting in my lap, and what it felt like to have my arms around his waist.    
  
"I'm here for our date," he said.  
  
"Yeah, you are," I said, trying to sound suave.  
  
It took me a second to realize what I'd said.  
  
I felt my face heating as I stuttered out, "I mean, uh. You're here for dinner. With everyone."  
  
"Tobias said," he paused, like he was trying to remember the words exactly, "he sends his apologies-gees, but everyone else will not be joining us. This is supposed to be a date. Day-ate. Duh-ayte."  
  
Date. The word was echoing in my brain. A date with Ax. In his gorgeous human morph. A date. My head was spinning. I needed to sit down.  
  
"This was just supposed to be a dinner to cheer you up," I protested weakly as I stepped to the side and beckoned him through the door.  
  
"It still is," he said. "But it will just be me and you."  
  
Something was burning.  
  
"My hamburger!" I cried and ran back to the kitchen just in time to save most of my beef.  
  
As I drained the grease, Ax approached the island counter where I'd set out the toothpaste and vitamins.

"Does the idea of idea of us on a date make you uncomfortable? Tuh-bul." Asked Ax, not mincing any words. My back was to him, thankfully, so he couldn't see the look of sheer terror on my face.  
  
I was too shocked to even be mad that my so-called friends set me up on a date with our resident alien. Our very cute resident alien who was now standing in my kitchen.  
  
I'd never thought about dating Ax. Sure, we'd spent a lot of time together watching TV in his scoop and going to the mall so I could buy him Cinnabon, but those were just things friends did. And, yeah, we playfully teased each other all the time about the fact that my minutes were his too. And, I thought he was smart and attractive and I maybe, sometimes, I wondered how Andalites kissed without a mouth, if they even did, and maybe I wondered what it'd be like to kiss him in his human morph and... oh. Damn.  
  
"Marco?" Ax asked, voice low and cautious. I'd been staring silently at the pan in my hand.  
  
"Let me finish this real quick," I said, avoiding answering.  
  
I turned to put the pan back on the stove, then added the rest of the ingredients and set the stroganoff to simmer. Ax waited patiently, though I did catch him eyeing the toothpaste like he was barely holding off on licking it straight from the little bowls I'd squeezed it into. There were three flavors: mint, cinnamon and bubblegum. I'd even bought little sampling spoons, like what you might eat caviar with.  
  
I washed up, attempting to allow myself more time to come to terms with the fact I had a crush on Ax. Well, it's not like my life could get any more weird. Having a crush on an alien-- an alien guy-- was probably the least weird thing I dealt with on a daily basis.  
  
So, this was a date. Nothing had changed. I was still going to rock Ax's world.  
  
I wiped my hands on a dish towel and turned to face Ax. He was still standing at the counter, now looking at the two Flintstones vitamins I'd placed in a tiny glass bowl. Two had seemed like a safe enough serving size.  
  
"You look very handsome tonight, Ax," I said smoothly, approaching him. I leaned against the counter in a way I hoped looked effortlessly attractive.  
  
"Human aesthetics are irrelevant to me," he said, "but Rachel assured me you would find my appearance very sexy."  
  
I let him play with the syllables in "sexy" a few times until I couldn't stand it any longer. 

 "Human aesthetics, huh? So, you're saying you don't find me hot?" I pouted a little for effect, and coyly toyed with one of the vitamins in the glass bowl.

"I enjoy the time we spend together immensely and always look forward to the next time we can be alone together. I find you engaging and intelligent, for a human" he said, his large hazel eyes serious. My breath caught in my throat. That was pretty genuine compliment coming from an Andalite, and he didn't even pretend to misunderstand what I'd meant by "hot."  

"Admittedly," he continued, "I don't understand all the minutiae of human courtship. Tobias assures me TV is not always an accurate representation of humans, so I was..." he paused, a blush coloring his cheeks.  

"Yes," I said, leaning forward, my voice a whisper.

"I was hoping you'd teach me," he said, drawing out his words sensually. I wondered where he learned that.

"I think I can teach you a few things," I said, swaying toward him. We were close, so close that I could easily lean up and kiss him. He bit his lip. I sucked in a sharp breath as my stomach flip-flopped at the sight.  

"Are we going to emulate those who are young and restless and press our mouthparts together?" He asked, corner of his mouth quirking up in smirk that told me he knew that was exactly what we were going to do.

I reached up and curled my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down to me.

"If you insist," I whispered, my lips just inches from his.

BUZZ!

The sound of the oven startled me and I jerked back, dropping my hand.

"What was that," he cried, just as startled as I was.

"Just the oven," I said as I reluctantly pulled away to check my cake.

My pound cake came out looking great. I even poked in a toothpick to ensure it was cooked through, just like the books instructed. I narrated what I was doing, just for something to say. Ax watched, rapt, as I transferred the cake to a wire rack to cool.

"You are very good," he said. "It's just like watching a cooking show on TV."

I laughed. "Well, reserve your judgment until you actually try my cooking. Oh, and..." I plucked one of the Flintstones vitamins out of the bowl in front of Ax. "Open up."

It took him second to realize what I meant, but then he parted his lips and let me pop the little purple Fred Flintstone shaped vitamin in his mouth. My index finger brushed against his lower lip as I moved my hand away.

He chewed slowly, eyes narrowing as he crunched down. I watched, trying not to laugh at the look on his face. This wasn't his usual reaction to trying a new flavor.

He finally gulped it down with a sour look.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "Those were on your list. Vitamins in shape of primitive humans, as you told Tobias. Not what you were expecting?"

"No," he said, smacking his lips like he was trying to get the taste out his mouth. "I believe These Messages misconstrued the desirability of this product."

"Yabba-dabba-ew. That's advertising for you. Not everything is as it seems on TV." I took pity on him and got him a glass of water, which he downed gratefully while I checked the stroganoff. It still had about five minutes.

"Try the toothpaste," I said. "It's more of an after dinner delicacy, but we are rebels, after all. Dessert before dinner." He ignored my little spoons and plunged his tongue straight into the bowl of sparkly, turquoise toothpaste.

"Oh, sorry," he said, after he'd licked out a tongue full. "Did you want some?" He held the bowl out to me.

I smiled, feeling it reach my eyes. "No, thanks," I said. "It's all for you. To make you happy."

He smiled back, bright and beautiful, mouth only slightly smeared with bubblegum toothpaste. I wanted so much to kiss him. We'd been so close just earlier.

What was I was waiting for?

I rounded the counter and grabbed his arm, pulling him to face me.

"Oh," he said, dropping the bowl on counter with a clatter as I pressed up on my tip-toes and touched my lips to his. I licked the smear of toothpaste from the corner and seam of his mouth. His lips parted and our tongues brushed together lightly. A warm, comfortable feeling settled low in my stomach as I kept kissing him.

When we pulled apart, we were both breathing a little harder and still smiling.

"That made me happy, " he said plainly.

I answered automatically, truthfully. "Me too," I said as I intertwined my fingers with his.

He leaned in and kissed me again, just a quick peck. "I'm glad our friends set up this date."

"Yeah," I laughed, leaning my forehead against his chest. I was a little embarrassed and angry that they'd gone through the trouble, but I think I was more angry with myself for not realizing sooner. I could've been kissing Ax for months and instead I was I was completely in denial about my feelings for him. Well, I was at least grateful my friends had the balls to concoct this ruse to get me and Ax together.

"Come on." I pulled him along to the table and instructed him to sit down. "Dinner's ready, I think. Beef stroganoff, Hamburger Helper style."

He sounded gleeful when he said, "Families in These Messages always enjoy Hamburger Helper."

I said, "Well, let's hope our little family of two does as well."

Ax enjoyed the stroganoff so much he ended up licking the pan I'd cooked it in. Then, he enjoyed half the cinnamon pound cake, declaring it to be almost better than Cinnabon, which I took to be high praise. We ended the night with some necking on the couch, just like two normal teenagers. Well, just like one normal human teenager and one presumably normal alien teenager. I wasn't exactly sure what Andalites found to be normal.  

"Do Andalites kiss?" I asked later, while breathlessly pressing a kiss on his jaw, right below his ear. I pulled back, awaiting his answer.

He reached up and caressed my cheek. "Like this," he said. His long, soft human fingers skimmed over my face, down to my chin and back up all the way to my temples and down again. I caught his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers one by one, loving the intimacy of the Andalite way of kissing combined with the human way.

Then, I rubbed my thumb over his cheek, caressing his face just as he had done mine.


End file.
